


Nightmares and Dreams

by Queen_Aster_Luna



Series: Heirs of Prythian [7]
Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas, MAAS Sarah J. - Works
Genre: Family Feels, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Mentioned Abuse, Mor Family, Morrigan adopts Twins, Nightmares, morrigan as a mom
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-24 06:29:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17095565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queen_Aster_Luna/pseuds/Queen_Aster_Luna
Summary: That's the story of how Mor adopted the twins Morena and Morpheus!





	Nightmares and Dreams

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys! New fic! An Angstier one than the fluffy ones, but don't worry it will get fluffier with each chapter! 
> 
> It's mentions abuse against children, so just a warning. Don't worry it isn't graphic or anything.
> 
> Have fun reading it!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own ACoTaR just my own characters.

With a gasp, Morena wakes up. Cold sweat clings to her body, her heart beats so fast in her ears she can't hear anything else for a moment. Her eye adjusts slowly to the darkness. She tries to calm herself down a little. _Just a bad dream,_ she repeats in her head, _just a bad dream. It's not real. He can't do anything anymore._

She swallows back the unwelcome tears, hugging herself under the blanket to stop herself from shaking. Panic and fear clouds her mind. _Stupid Bad Dream!_ She doesn't need to dream about this. She doesn't want it to haunt her. A tear and a thought escape her control.

_Where is Morpheus?_

Morie shoots up, looking wildly around the dark room, looking for her younger brother. Then she sees him. Laying on the bed on the other side of the room, on his stomach, hugging a pillow, facing her. 

Morie sighs in relief and sags back into her pillow, trying to control her breathing. Mindful of the bandages around her face and head, she wipes away the escaped tears. _There's no reason for crying!_ She scolds herself. _Focus on something else. Anything else._

She opens her unbandaged eye and stares at the ceiling. Nothing to focus on. She looks at the walls. They are pretty barren expect for a painting here and there. So she decides to look at the painting facing her. It is to dark to make out details, but Morie knows it well enough to know what everything is. 

It is a painting of snow peaked mountains in front of the night sky full of bright stars, giving off a bright violet light. Morena likes the painting a lot. It calms her for some reason. Somehow it reminds her of better time she never had and wishes she could have, and a better world she never knew of and hopes to live in one day.

Her breathing and heart finally slows as she looks at it. Her younger brother - younger Twin brother - didn't move at all, he is just snoring softly. Morie already doesn't hear his snoring anymore. She is way too used to sleeping beside him. They had always shared a room. Sometimes even a bed on particularly bad days. Her fa-... 

Morena sits up instantly. _Don't go there! There are better things to think about, to do to distract herself._  
She maybe could get a glass of water. She did know where the kitchen is. Which shouldn't be a huge accomplishment after already being here for almost a week, but she has ever barely left her brother and Morph in return has ever barely left the room, clinging to her. 

It took her a lot of convincing to get him to sleep in his own bed. She couldn't bear waking him up because of her bad dreams. Morph always knows when she has them when she is sleeping beside him. 

Morie didn't know what is worse. Waking up her younger brother with her nightmares and making him panicky and scared too, because of her being scared and panicky, which she despises both doing and being, or seeing Morph being upset about her wanting to sleep alone and her actually having to sleep alone, not having him close to her. 

She breaks out of her thoughts as her scars on her face start itching and hurting again. 

_Two Weeks, the nice healer had said, than the bandages can come down._  
Two weeks, Morrigan had said, than you can decide what to do with them.  
Two weeks, she says to herself, than you can see your face again.

Honestly, Morena didn't know what she wanted to do with her scars. She always did love scares and always wanted her own. They are wicked and cool. Completely badass. But now she isn't quite sure anymore. 

_She isn't sure about anything right now._

Sighing softly, Morena untangles her blanket and gets out of bed. After tiptoeing barefoot to the half open door, Morie slips out of the room and down the hallway like a wraith. After following the path in her memories to the kitchen, the wraith-like girl freezes in the doorway, eyes wide in shock and surprise.

She isn't the only one not in their bed in this house. Morrigan, the legendary Morrigan, is sitting in the dark kitchen -only illuminated by the soft citylights through the window- at the table. Slumped over the table, face leaning on her arms, fast asleep, a mug stands beside her. Her blond hair falls limp over the table. 

_This is not the first time you see her_ , she reminds herself and shakes her head, _you are in her cauldron-damned house right now. Of course, you're going to keep walking into her._

Morena bites the inside of her cheek, debating what to do. She is actually really thirsty right now, but she also didn't want to wake Morrigan up or actually interact with her. Maybe if she is really quiet. 

Putting up a brave front, Morie tiptoes into kitchen to the table with water in a pitch. Now all she needs is a glass or mug. Morie looks around and spots them in the cabinet over the counter behind Morrigan. _Cauldron no._ Being 8 years old and rather small, getting one of the glasses or mugs from up there, would be even more difficult without a chair and especially without making a sound. Maybe she could use her magic. But unfortunately for her, she doesn't really have any control over it. And even the attempt of trying could end not in her favour. 

She bites the inside of her cheeks again, thinking on what she could do next. Didn't Morph had a glass of water before he fall asleep? It should be empty and still in the room. 

Deciding to look, Morie leaves the kitchen and goes wraith-like to the room again. And indeed, there stands a empty glass. She sighs in relief, takes the glass and turns to leave as she notices the blankets on the foot of her bed. Without thinking, she grabs one and slips out of the room. 

In the kitchen, Morrigan didn't move a inch, still fast asleep, but now softly snoring. _There's two of them now._

She drops the blanket in front of the table and climbs on the chair across from Morrigan. She just finished drinking a glass of water and getting ready to go back to her brother with a full one, when she looks at Morrigan again.

The female she is owning so much to. The female she had been looking up to after Morie heard stories in the deep belly of Hewn City about her and even seen her once or twice there. The female who saved her brother's and her own life. 

Morena knows that she and Morrigan are in fact distantly related, her father liked to complain about Morrigan and her relation to them. Liked to set her as a bad example for Morena. 

But be honest, Morie always wanted to be like Morrigan. Or at least meet her. She always seems like a kind-hearted and friendly female. Head always high, as if she was walking above them. And Morie always wanted to be up there too. 

But now, Morena doesn't know what she wanted. Maybe just a way to stay here in Velaris instead of going back to Hewn City. 

Morrigan had promised that they were not going back if they didn't want to, but as much as Morena does want to believe it, she couldn't. Nobody keeps their promise. They are empty and just a farce. 

She is beyond thankful for Morrigan saving them and letting them stay in her house, but Morie didn't want to know how this will end. Because it couldn't end any kind of good for Morpheus and her. It never does.  
Morie shakes her head, chasing off the thoughts. She grabs the blanket, climbs on the chair right beside Morrigan and does her best as an eight year old to put the blanket around the sleeping female without waking her. And it turns out to be more difficult than Morie had hoped it would be. 

Her arms brushes over the blond head and Morrigan stirs, waking slowly. 

Morie instantly let's go of the blanket, letting it fall awkwardly over the waking Morrigan, scrambling off the chair. She is ready to do a mad dash to the room, before Morrigan has fully woken up but it is to late for that. 

“Morena?” A sleepy Morrigan asks her. Morie completely froze, eyes wide. “Is something wrong?” Morena wants to shake her head or maybe even bolt to the room. But she turns slowly, hands clasped in front of her, looking down on her feet, trying not to shake. With a small voice she says: “I just wanted a glass of water. I didn't want to wake you. I'm sorry.”

Morena couldn't see the frown on Mor's face. She just wants to go to her room. She couldn't cause trouble, otherwise they will be thrown out of the house faster. She doesn't know if Morrigan would actually throw them out to the street, but Morie isn't taking any chances, as much as she wants to believe that Morrigan wouldn't do something like that. 

Morrigan's soft voice startles her out of her thoughts. “Oh Morie, Sweetheart, I'm not mad at you for waking me or getting a glass of water. I should probably thank you for waking me, falling asleep at the table makes me feel weird for the rest of the day.” Morrigan stands up and kneels down in front of a still down looking Morena. Morrigan doesn't touch her, but looks at her face with a soft smile. “Morie, thank you for waking me, even if it was accidental. And more importantly, thank you for the blanket.” 

Morie looks up, meets brown warm-glowing eyes. She hadn't notice Morrigan lighting a candle, so Morie searches for it, not being able to look much longer at the female before her. She finds the candle in the table beside her. “You're welcome.” Morie whispers back.

“Did you have a nightmare again?” Morie could hear maybe something that could be considered concern in Morrigan's voice. Morie starts to shake her head, the bad dreams are probably going on Morrigan's nerves already. But Morrigan interrupts gently her. “The truth please, Morie. I will not be mad if you did have one.” A beat of silence and Morie looks down again, but nods twice. 

“Is Morpheus awake too?” Morie shakes her head.  
“Are you okay? And the truth please.” Morrigan says just as Morie wants to shake her head again. Morena really isn't okay. Her bad dreams, her memories are creeping up again. _Stop it._ She tells herself, blinking away tears. _Stop it. Don't go on her nerves!_ To her own horror, she starts shaking and a sob escapes her sealed lips. _Stop it! Now! Crying is for babies. Stop it before everything gets out._

But Morena couldn't stop it and everything got out. She hadn't cried when her father tried to separate her and Morph, claiming to take Morph to special training for his awakened powers. 

She hadn't cried when her brother begged their father not to take him away from his sister, crying and thrashing in his father's too tight and hurtful grip.  
She hadn't cried when Morpheus started to beg for their father to take Morie with them, to not having to be alone with him, for their father not to hurt her when he is gone. 

She hadn't cried when she gotten between her father and her brother, biting and hitting, screaming and kicking. Freeing her brother from his grip. 

She hadn't cried when her father picked her up and thrown her against the wall, calling her useless and a waste of life. Telling her that this is the punishment for being born before her twin brother. Making him the disgrace in the family for having a firstborn daughter. 

She especially hadn't cried as she picked herself up and thrown herself between her younger brother and her father's three parted whip with ash ends -the whip he had threatening to use on them for years- came down on her hysterically screaming brother. 

She hadn't cried as the whip lashed across her face. She barely felt that at all. She was far more focused on the power building up inside her, than as she stumbled, blood dripping from her face, she released it. The mountain shook, but what her bastard of a father was more focused on, were the nightmarish beings rising up around the twins. The nightmarish beings that closed up on him, making him scream in fear or pain, Morie wasn't sure. But what she was sure of are the beings were her doing. Her own doing. Her own magic. Morie still doesn't know what exactly her magic is. 

But the rest of the night Morie didn't remember much from, everything went so fast. 

Morrigan had broken the door open, almost stumbling into their mess. She took one look at them the hurt, crying and passed out children and than at the begging bastard. The rest is a blur. Morie apparently fainted, due to the pain, bloodloss and exhaustion of her magic. 

She hadn't cried when she woke up later beside her brother, bandages around her face, head and face throbbing. She had woken up to Morrigan checking up on them, in Morrigan's house and guest bedroom, in Velaris, the city she heard so much about, the city she always dreamt of seeing, but always thought she never would be in. 

She hadn't cried when Morrigan told her that her father is no more. She didn't know how to feel about that. On one hand she is more than relieved that he is gone, on the other hand, she and Morpheus are orphans now, with no immediate family left. 

She also never cried after her bad dreams. She had been building up walls around it. The memories, the bad dreams, her fears, and her desire to curl up and cry. All was locked up and pushed back. She wanted to make herself forget. She wanted to appear strong, for her brother and for herself. Morpheus needed her to be strong, otherwise he wouldn't survive his day awake. In contrast to her, Morph doesn't have bad dreams like her, no the memories are haunting him while he is awake, following him everywhere. 

Morena can keep them away when she is awake, but they haunt her during the night.  
Morpheus can keep them away when he is asleep, but they haunt him during the day.

But now, these walls are breaking, leaking and vanishing. Flooding her mind and body with unwelcome memories and sobs and tears. And Morena starts crying for the first time in a long time. She lets it all out, ignoring who could be seeing her. Forgetting that Morrigan is still kneeling in front of her. Forgetting her fear of doing something wrong. She couldn't take it anymore. 

So Morena cries and wails and sobs and screams and shakes. 

Dimly she feels arms hugging her to a warm chest, hears humming and shushing noises, smells a familiar calming scent. She feels herself being picked up and carried in an embrace. An embrace she always dreamed and wished of being held in. But Morie doesn't care, couldn't care. All she could do is cry her heart out. She buries herself deeper into the wonderful warmth and cries herself to sleep. A dreamless but warmth sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you all like it!
> 
> Feel free to ask me anything!
> 
> You can find me on Tumblr @heirs-of-prythian or @aster-ria!
> 
> Thanks for reading!!!


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